[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4453 Reported in House (RH)]

                                                 Union Calendar No. 450
108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4453

                          [Report No. 108-730]

    To improve access to physicians in medically underserved areas.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 20, 2004

 Mr. Moran of Kansas introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                   to the Committee on the Judiciary

                            October 5, 2004

Additional sponsors: Mr. Turner of Texas, Mr. Stenholm, Mr. Frost, Ms. 
                 Jackson-Lee of Texas, and Mr. Pomeroy

                            October 5, 2004

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To improve access to physicians in medically underserved areas.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Access to Rural Physicians 
Improvement Act of 2004''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. WAIVER OF FOREIGN COUNTRY RESIDENCE REQUIREMENT WITH 
              RESPECT TO INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL GRADUATES.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Extension of Deadline.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--Section 220(c) of the Immigration 
        and Nationality Technical Corrections Act of 1994 (8 U.S.C. 
        1182 note) (as amended by section 11018 of Public Law 107-273) 
        is amended by striking ``and before June 1, 2004.'' and 
        inserting ``and before the date that is 1 year after the date 
        of the enactment of the Access to Rural Physicians Improvement 
        Act of 2004.''.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Effective dates.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) In general.--Except as provided in 
                subparagraph (B), the amendment made by paragraph (1) 
                shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this 
                Act.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) Special effective date.--With respect 
                only to aliens admitted to the United States under 
                section 101(a)(15)(J) of the Immigration and 
                Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(J)), or acquiring 
                status under such section after admission, during the 
                period beginning on June 1, 2004, and ending on the 
                date of the enactment of this Act, the amendment made 
                by paragraph (1) shall take effect as if this Act were 
                enacted on May 31, 2004.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Exemption From H1B Numerical Limitations.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--Section 214(l)(2)(A) of the 
        Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(1)(2)(A) is 
        amended by adding at the end the following:</DELETED>
<DELETED>``The numerical limitations contained in subsection (g)(1)(A) 
shall not apply to any alien whose status is changed under the 
preceding sentence, if the alien obtained a waiver of the 2-year 
foreign residence requirement upon a request by an interested State 
agency.''.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by 
        paragraph (1) shall take effect as if this Act were enacted on 
        September 30, 2003.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. MODIFICATION OF VISA REQUIREMENTS WITH RESPECT TO 
              INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL GRADUATES.

    (a) Extension of Deadline.--
            (1) In general.--Section 220(c) of the Immigration and 
        Nationality Technical Corrections Act of 1994 (8 U.S.C. 1182 
        note) (as amended by section 11018 of Public Law 107-273) is 
        amended by striking ``2004.'' and inserting ``2006.''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
        shall take effect as if enacted on May 31, 2004.
    (b) Exemption From H-1B Numerical Limitations.--Section 
214(l)(2)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
1184(l)(2)(A)) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``The 
numerical limitations contained in subsection (g)(1)(A) shall not apply 
to any alien whose status is changed under the preceding sentence, if 
the alien obtained a waiver of the 2-year foreign residence requirement 
upon a request by an interested Federal agency or an interested State 
agency.''.
    (c) Limitation on Medical Practice Areas.--Section 214(l)(1)(D) of 
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(l)(1)(D)) is amended 
by striking ``agrees to practice medicine'' and inserting ``agrees to 
practice primary care or specialty medicine''.
    (d) Exemption From Geographic Limitations.--Section 214(l)(1)(D) of 
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(l)(1)(D)), as 
amended by subsection (c), is further amended--
            (1) by striking ``except that,'' and all that follows 
        through the period at the end and inserting ``except that--''; 
        and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(i) in the case of a request by the Department of 
                Veterans Affairs, the alien shall not be required to 
                practice medicine in a geographic area designated by 
                the Secretary; and
                    ``(ii) in the case of a request by an interested 
                State agency, the head of such State agency determines 
                that the alien is to practice medicine under such 
                agreement in a facility that serves patients who reside 
                in one or more geographic areas so designated by the 
                Secretary of Health and Human Services (without regard 
                to whether such facility is within such a designated 
                geographic area), and the grant of such waiver would 
                not cause the number of the waivers granted on behalf 
                of aliens for such State for a fiscal year (within the 
                limitation described in subparagraph (B)) in accordance 
                with the conditions of this clause to exceed 5.''.




                                                 Union Calendar No. 450

108th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 4453

                          [Report No. 108-730]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

    To improve access to physicians in medically underserved areas.

_______________________________________________________________________

                            October 5, 2004

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed